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Paper Teplate Volume-04 ISSN: 2455-3085 (Online) Issue-03 RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary March-2019 www.rrjournals.com[UGC Listed Journal] Fake News in Kashmir: A Case Study *1Ab Rouf Bhat & 2Dr. Syeda Afshana 1Ph.D Scholar, Media Education Research Centre, University of Kashmir, J&K (India) 2Associate Professor, Media Education Research Centre, University of Kashmir, J&K (India) ARTICLE DETAILS ABSTRACT Article History While social media is used to proliferate news, it is also used to peddle fake news, rumors Published Online: 13 March 2019 and misinformation. There is an upward trend in the circulation of fake news on social media throughout the world. The phenomenon of fake news is as old as the media itself but it has Keywords dominated the public discourse since the post-truth era and is directly related to the Fake News, Rumors, Kashmir, Social increase in the usage of social networking sites. The online media sphere of Kashmir is not Media immune to fake news either. Kashmir is one of the few places where Internet services are often disrupted by government to stop the spread of “misinformation” during the escalation *Corresponding Author Email: roufbhat7890[at]gmail.com of violence. But it is never clear as what constitutes “misinformation” for the government. The repercussions of fake news in a conflict place can be dangerous given the role it can play in mobilizing people and ideas. This paper looks into how social media is used to spread fake news in Kashmir and who are the players involved in it. It also explores how the absence of any fake news debunking mechanism makes this phenomenon a dangerous thing in conflict torn Kashmir. 1. Introduction phrase is interchangeably used for both mis- and Fake news is defined as “false stories that appear to be disinformation. The phrase has thus become very vulnerable news, spread on the Internet or using other media, usually and is being politicized. created to influence political views (Cambridge dictionary, 2019).” For University of Michigan, (n.d.) news stories that are 2. Review of Literature “fabricated, with no verifiable facts, sources or quotes” qualify a) Understanding Fake News and Rumors for being called as fake. Based on the understanding of these “Rumor is a complex phenomenon. It may be provisionally two definitions, fake news contains “fabricated facts” with regarded as the product of a series of witnesses, each of “unverifiable origin” aimed at “influencing views”. But the whom bears testimony to a statement imparted to him by his ecosystem of fake news is so vast that there is still no predecessor (Hart, 1916).” Gordon Allport and Allan Hunt consensus between journalists and scholars of communication (1947) in their path-breaking book, The Psychology of Rumor as what and what not constitutes fake news. The phenomenon write: “Rumors are impetuous in nature. They spread like of fake news is as old as media itself. However, the usage of wildfire because they deal with an immediate threat. Engulfing the term “fake news” garnered attention since the 2016 US a community in an amazingly short period of time, they include Presidential election or what we call as “post-truth” era. This rumors of violence, or accidents, catastrophes. Starting in a was substantiated in the Google Trend Map (2018), which highly charged atmosphere, rumors of this class are likely to showed a record increase in the search enquiries related to incite prompt and vigorous action because they are based on “fake news” in the second quarter of 2016. strong emotions of panic, rage.” Fake news is thus a snowballing process. Different people, based on their understanding and application of the phrase, define fake news differently. The Fake news is mostly viral fictitious stories that are universe of fake news is ever-expanding as the proliferation of presented as “news”. The repercussions of fake news vary fake news on different media platforms, mostly on social based on the socio-political fabric of the society in which it is media, is increasing with the growing number of Internet users peddled. In a literate society, information (news) plays an and the easy availability of Internet service. Claire Wardle important role in its functioning that is why fake news has (2017), former Research Director at the Tow Centre, Columbia caused a buzz in our societies. A society fed with fake Journalism School, has created a typology of fake news. information tends to function abnormally. The uncontrolled According to her, there are seven types of fake news, which distribution of fake news points out to a sociological problem exist between “mis- and disinformation” within our information that is deteriorating every day. The nature of fake news poses system. These are: satire or parody; misleading content; a challenge not only to the way media organizations imposter content; fabricated content; false connection; false disseminate information but also to the entire information context; manipulated content. system of a society. Fake news is a very catchy term. “The economy and b) Motivation Behind Fake News simplicity of the two-word combination… instantly conjures up The reason for the production of fake news can be a variety of meanings and can thus be used very flexibly political, economical or social in nature. People with political (McGonagle, 2017).” The definitional dilemmas persist as the interests use fake news to do propaganda against their rivals RRIJM 2015, All Rights Reserved 502 | P a g e Volume-04, Issue-03,March-2019 RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary or manipulate public opinion regarding a particular issue. mostly on their mobile phones. Social media, like in any other Political parties and politicians peddle fake news to discredit country in the world, is popular in Kashmir; Facebook, Twitter, opposition particularly during election time or heightened Instagram and WhatsApp being the preferred platforms among political unrest. Politicians sometimes manipulate news in their people. Cheap Internet service coupled with unregulated social favor to gain sympathy from audience or voters. Several networking sites, the production, distribution and consumption groups of websites and social media handles, modeled on of news has become easy. Social media is used for recreation, newsroom setup, have been established to spread fake news news and in highlighting the conflict in region. Internet services at the behest of people with ulterior motives. For example are often disrupted by government in the name of maintaining during 2016 Presidential Elections in USA, several fake news “law and order” in Kashmir (Agrawal, 2018). Internet Shutdown websites were traced to Russia (Timberg, 2016). Tracker (2019) reported 124 incidents of Internet shutdown in Advertisements, shares and clicks generate thousands of Kashmir in 2018 alone; the reason behind being the violent dollars of revenue for fake news websites, thus making it a encounters between militants and government forces or civilian lucrative business (BBC, 2017). Fake news is spread killings. intentionally to mobilize people, cause panic, or mislead people. In countries like India, rightwing groups have circulated Social media has turned out to be a boon for Kashmir fake news reports to create mass hysteria and an atmosphere because of the marginalization of peoples‟ voices in for violence to terrorize a minority population (BBC, 2018). mainstream Indian media. People of Kashmir have donned the hats of storytellers and are now narrating their own conflict. In c) Role of Social Media in Dissemination of Fake News the frenzy of communicating the happenings of Kashmir to the Social media is the minefield of fake news. Most of the world outside, fictitious reports or rumors galore on social fake news emerges on social media first before it mobilizes media platforms, getting shared thousands of times before people and opinions. Due to the absence of foolproof being verified as false. mechanism on different social media platform, it becomes easy for social media users to peddle fake news. “The extent of Social media in Kashmir is mostly unchecked, with no untrustworthy information on social media is concerning myth busting mechanisms in place. With millions of users (Shyrokykh, 2018).” There is much more to fake news and it posting stuff daily on social media, it becomes difficult to needs different elements to complete the cycle. Other than regulate the content. Equipped with smartphones and 4G (mis)information and motivation, social media is needed to Internet service, social media users have donned the hat of spread fake news (Trend Micro, 2017). On social media, fake journalists in times of easily-available news material. Without news is not spread by common users only but by bots and caring to fact-check the content of news, it becomes easy for trolls (CITS, n.d.), who are sometimes paid for their job. Under users to post the stuff of their liking, which sometimes turns out pressure for not tackling the menace of fake news, Social to be fake. Except for online news portal, Free Press Kashmir media sites like Twitter and Facebook often come up with and blogging site, With Kashmir, the mainstream news measures to curb its spread on their sites. Facebook has organizations have not setup special desks dedicated to the entered into partnership with other fact-checking organizations busting of fake news in Kashmir as is the trend in media world and has built and entire team to check the circulation of news over. Neither has state government come up with any solution. on their platform (Chang & Brackett, 2018). Similarly, Twitter A news portal, stopfakeinkashmir.org, touted to fact-check and has blocked thousands of fake accounts responsible for spot fake news in Kashmir turned out to be a damp squib. spreading fake news (Confessore & Dance, 2018). WhatsAppn messenger brought several changes to its application for the With no mechanisms in place to detect and debunk fake sole purpose of having more control on fake news.
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